John Thaxter to John Quincy Adams

[dateline] Paris 4th. Septr. 1780

[salute] My dear John

I had the pleasure of your agreeable favour of the 31st. of August { 413 } this day, and am much obliged by the Continuation of your Journal.1 You have refreshed my Memory encore. I acknowledge my Engagements, and think I have
in part fulfilled them. You have I am persuaded recieved my first before this.2 The portions of your Journal are very short, but nevertheless choice and well written—was
You to add a page and an half more it would give an agreeable length to the letter.
But I will not urge You too much—perhaps a want of leisure may Occasion two Pages
being left blank.

I have sent your Letters to the Pension, as they have been recieved, and forwarded
some to You, which must have come to hand before this.3

You are at present in a Country very different from that of France in many Respects.
You have turned over another Leaf of the great Volume of Nature—a Book worth reading
and Study. Many good lessons are to be learnt from it—it forewarns and if well read
it forearms.

John4 desires that Stephens would purchase for him a German Bible—be kind enough to mention
it to Stephens. Pray what progress have you made in the language, and how do You find
it? Is it as musical as the Spanish, and as agreeable as the French? If You have undertaken
to learn, I wish You much satisfaction and Improvement.